Brix Bounty Farm Hosts Our Annual
Winter Study Series
January – February 2016
Monday Evenings 7PM w/optional potluck at 6PM
Our Selected Title for 2016 will be announced in early November 2015, stay tuned for details…
Past Winter Study Topics
Winter 2014-2015
Teaming with Nutrients: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to Optimizing Plant Nutrition by Jeff Lowenfels
Each Week we’ll gather on Monday evening for an informal discussion focusing on the selected reading and an optional no-stress potluck.
We’ll start dinner at 6PM and discussion at 7PM.
To Register (registration is free) please contact Derek via email or phone, 508-992-1868.
Brix Bounty Farm Hosts 5th Annual
2013 Winter Studies Series
Session I – Agriculture In-Depth (for Commercial Growers)
5 Mondays beginning Monday Jan. 14th, 2013 through Monday Feb 11th
The Intelligent Gardener: Growing Nutrient-Dense Food by Steve Solomon with Erica Reinheimer
Week 1 – Intro, Ch 1, Ch 2
Week 2 – Ch 3, Ch 4
Week 3 – Ch 5
Week 4 – Ch 6, Ch 7
Week 5 – Ch 8, Ch 9, & Epilogue
Each Week we’ll gather on Monday evening for an informal discussion focusing on the selected reading and an optional no-stress potluck.
We’ll start dinner at 6PM and discussion at 7PM. Families with young children are quite welcome!
To Register (registration is free) please contact Derek via email or phone, 508-992-1868.
2011/2012 Winter Study Info
Session I
Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein
available through Baker Books in Dartmouth
an online at Reality Sandwich
and through North Atlantic Books
3 Mondays beginning Monday January 16th, 2012 through Monday January 30th, 2012
Week 1 – excerpts from Part I: The Economics of Separation
Week 2 – excerpts from Part II: The Economics of Reunion
Week 3 – excerpts from Part III: Living the New Economy
Session II – Agriculture In-Depth
5 Mondays beginning Monday Feb. 6th, 2012 through Monday March 5th
Nutrition Rules!: Guidelines from the Master Consultants by Graeme Sait
This book is available for free from Graeme if you sign up to receive his free monthly NTS Nutrition Matters updates… Acres USA may also have hard copies available for folks who would prefer that medium.
Week 1 – Soil Health – Mineral Management – Intro, Walters, Kinsey, Martens – through pg. 40
Week 2 – Soil Health – Microbe Management – Ingham, Beck, Shaffer, Diver – pgs, 41-98
Week 3 – Plant Health Energy Management (pt. 1) – Tainio, Skow, Lovel – pgs. 99-141
Week 4 – Plant Health Energy Management (pt. 2) – Callahan, Wheeler, Andersen – pgs. 142-178
Week 5 – Animal & Soil Health – Zimmer, Brunetti, Salatin – pgs. 179-214
Each Week we’ll gather on Monday evening for an informal discussion focusing on the selected reading and an optional no-stress potluck. We’ll start dinner at 6PM and discussion at 7PM.
To Register (registration is free) for either or both sessions please contact Derek via email or phone, 508-992-1868.
For folks joining us for Session II you may also be interested in attending the Soil & Nutrition Conference in Northhampton, MA on Feb 9-11th. The event will feature an intensive workshop session with John Kempf, a day of panel discussions from growers and consultants in the Northeast, and a 3rd day focusing on strategic planning and action focusing on Soil & Nutrition. I’m just off the heels of a 2-day seminar led by John, Jerry Brunetti, and Lawrence Mayhew at the Acres USA conference and John’s presentation is definitely, definitely worth the trek to Northhampton!
2010-2011 Winter Study Info
Session II: Mondays Feb 7th – Mar 14th – Topic: “Agriculture in Depth” – Biological Transmutations by C.L. Kervran, Anatomy of Life & Energy in Agriculture by Arden. B. Andersen, and The Farm That Won’t Wear Out by Cyril G. Hopkins.
For session II we’ve selected three books which are sure to broaden our understanding of soils and plant biology:
The Anatomy of Life & Energy in Agriculture by Dr. Arden B. Andersen.
A concise book written by one of the leading consultants focusing on nutrient dense production.
Biological Transmutations by C. Louis Kervran
A “controversial” work focusing on the capacity of biological systems to change mineral composition through transmutation.
Both titles are available through ACRES USA.
We’ll also plan on reviewing excerpts from:
Hopkins, Cyril G. The Farm That Won’t Wear Out (archived online at the Soil and Health Library) self-published, 1913.
“Originally a series of four magazine articles appearing in The Country Gentleman, and later, responding to popular demand, published as a small book by the author himself. Explains in very few pages the way to achieve a permanent agriculture.PUBLIC DOMAIN (Soil and Health Library Description)”
We’ll plan on gathering for 6 evenings for each session, with room in the schedule for any weather related cancellations.
To register (registration is free) contact Derek Christianson, 508-992-1868 derekchristianson@gmail.com
Scholarships to offset cost of book purchases are available.
Session I: Mondays Dec 13th – Jan 24 th
Focus on Community, Economics, & Agriculture
Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered by Woody Tasch. Published in 2009 to coincide with the launch of the Slow Money Alliance.
Toward an Associative Economy in the Sustainable Food and Farming Movement by Robert Karp. Originally Published in the Biodynamics Journal.
with excerpts from Riane Eisler’s The Real Wealth of Nations Creating a Caring Economics
Perhaps no topic currently receives more focus within print than Economics… amidst the broad and diverse offerings we have selected a few books/essays which shine brightest among those considering alternative scenarios.
Join us we examine 3 pieces which explore future possibilities for a more complete and viable economic system focusing on sustainable wealth and community connections.
Session II: Mondays Feb 7th – Mar 14th – Topic: “Sustainable Agriculture In Depth” – Selection TBA in December 2010.
We’ll plan on gathering for 6 evenings for each session, with room in the schedule for any weather related cancellations.
To register (registration is free) contact Derek Christianson, 508-992-1868 derekchristianson@gmail.com
Scholarships to offset cost of book purchases are available.
Brix Bounty Farm hosts a series of Winter Studies 2009/2010
Beginning Monday November 23rd… with E.F. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful
Mondays at 7 PM (with an option to join us at 6PM for a simple Soup, Salad, and Bread Potluck Supper)
” And what is my case? Simply that our most important task is to get off our present collision course. And who is there to tackle such a task? I think every one of us, whether old or young, powerful or powerless, rich or poor, influential or uninfluential. To talk about the future is useful only if it leads to action now.”
-E.F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered
I started rereading this book a few weeks back when the rains came and slowed down our Thursday markets in New Bedford. With the continued uncertainty about the future of our economy I thought it might be nice to reflect back on a rather seminal work that has provided insight and inspiration to many folk. The book must have been mentioned on at least 3 different occasions during this past weekend’s Bioneers by the Bay and it made me think – perhaps we have time to get into delve into some thought regarding economics here in the late fall, many of you are likely aware its something that I spend a fair bit of time contemplating… We were originally planning to wait to begin our study groups until January, but instead will start on Monday Nov 23rd. with Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered.
The second selection, which will start in mid-January will take us to a more traditional selection focusing on sustainable agriculture – as we’ll read Francis Chaboussou’s Healthy Crops: A New Agricultural Revolution. Originally published in the mid-80’s in France this book focuses on Chaboussou’s research into his theory of trophobiosis: which “…is a commonsense and essentially simple biochemical argument: that most pest and disease organisms depend for their growth on free amino acids and reducing sugars in solution in the plant’s cell sap.” Given the severe impact late blight had on our tomato crop in the northeast I reckoned it would be worthwhile to spend a bit of time considering plant health and disease resistance in greater detail this winter.
If you are interested in joining us for one or both of the study groups, please let me know and I’ll add your name to the list. Schumacher’s book is widely available new and used through local booksellers. Chabbousou’s book is available through Acres USA or Lancaster Ag if your local book seller has trouble tracking it down. If the cost of either book is a barrier please know that scholarships are available.
Winter Study 2009/2010 Mondays at 7 PM (with an option to join us at 6PM for a simple Soup, Salad, and Bread Potluck Supper)
Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered – Monday November 23rd through approx. January 4th/11th
Healthy Crops: A New Agricultural Revolution – Jan 25th through approx. Feb 22nd/March 1st
We’ll plan on gathering for 6 evenings for each book, leaving a little room in the schedule for any weather related cancellations.
To register for the either Winter Study (registration is free) please contact Derek Christianson at 508-992-1868 or via email.
Scholarships to offset cost of book purchases are available
Previous Winter Study Topics:
January 2009 – Mainline Farming for Century 21 by Dan Skow D.V.M and Charles Walters
Fall 2008 – Menu for the Future – NWEI Discussion Course